Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A system configuration creation supporting device comprising: a receiver to receive a first network number and first network level information given to a first object and receive a second network number given to a second object, the first object being an image representing each of networks in a network system defined by a plurality of network levels, the second object being an image representing a node connected to at least one of the networks; a database to store the first network number and first network level information given to a first object and store the second network number given to the second object, the first network level information indicating to which level in a network configuration the first object belongs; data processing circuitry to search the database for the first object of each of the network levels on a basis of the first network level information, compare the first network number of the found first object with the second network number of the second object, extract the second object connected to the first object, and calculate coordinates of each of the first object and the extracted second object in a network configuration diagram of the network configuration; and a display to arrange the network levels in an order from a highest network level to a lowest network level, and display, as the network configuration diagram, a connection between the first object and the second object in each of the network levels on the basis of the coordinates of each of the objects.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates within the diagram.
2. The system configuration creation supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein when either one or both of the first object and the second object are added to the network system, the data processing circuitry recalculates coordinates of each of the objects in each of the network levels on the basis of the network level information given to the added object, and rearranges the objects in the network configuration diagram.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Additionally, if new network icons or node icons are added, the processor automatically recalculates all relevant object coordinates across the affected network levels and rearranges the objects on the network diagram display accordingly.
3. The system configuration creation supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein when a plurality of the network numbers are given to the extracted second object, the data processing circuitry displays the network configuration diagram such that the second object is connected to the first object of a higher network level.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Furthermore, if a node icon is associated with multiple network identifiers, the device displays that node icon as being connected to the network icon that belongs to the highest relevant network level among its connections.
4. The system configuration creation supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein when arranging each of the objects, the data processing circuitry displays an input screen for a user to set the network level information on the display.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Additionally, while arranging these objects, the processor causes the display to show an input screen, allowing a user to directly set or modify the network level information for the objects.
5. The system configuration creation supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing circuitry calculates the coordinates of each of the objects such that the respective objects are arranged at a preset interval.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Specifically, the processor calculates these coordinates to ensure that the network icons and node icons are arranged with a predetermined, consistent spacing or interval on the display.
6. The system configuration creation supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein on the basis of the network level information, the data processing circuitry causes the display to display the network configuration diagram with each of the network levels being distinguishably highlighted.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Furthermore, based on the network level information, the processor instructs the display to present the network diagram such that each distinct network level is visibly highlighted or distinguished from other levels (e.g., with different colors, backgrounds, or borders).
7. The system configuration creation supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing circuitry displays a list of property information on each of the objects on the display on the basis of the network level information.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Additionally, the processor displays a list of property information for each network icon and node icon on the display, which is organized or filtered based on their respective network level information.
8. The system configuration creating supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an indication of an organizing direction, and the display is further configured to arrange the network levels in order from the highest network level to the lowest network level based on the organizing direction.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display ordinarily arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. In this enhanced version, the receiver also obtains a user-specified organizing direction, and the display arranges the network levels from highest to lowest based on this received organizing direction.
9. The system configuration creating supporting device according to claim 8 , wherein the indication of the organizing direction is one of a left-to-right organizing direction corresponding to arranging the network levels with the higher levels at a left side of the display and a top-to-bottom organizing direction corresponding to arranging the network levels with the higher levels at a top side of the display.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display ordinarily arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. The receiver also obtains a user-specified organizing direction, and the display arranges the network levels from highest to lowest based on this received organizing direction. This organizing direction can be either a left-to-right arrangement (placing higher network levels on the left side of the display) or a top-to-bottom arrangement (placing higher network levels at the top side of the display).
10. The system configuration creating supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the database is further configured to store a third network number given to the second object, when the second object is connected to more than one network.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. Furthermore, the database is enhanced to store an additional network identifier (a 'third network number') for any node icon that is connected to more than one network, enabling it to track multiple network connections for a single node.
11. The system configuration creating supporting device according to claim 10 , wherein the second object is configured to be connected to a first network indicated by the second network number and the second object is configured to be connected to a second network indicated by the third network number.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. The database is enhanced to store an additional network identifier (a 'third network number') for any node icon that is connected to more than one network. Specifically, this means a node icon can be configured to connect to a first network identified by its initial network identifier (the 'second network number') and also to a second network identified by this additional 'third network number'.
12. The system configuration creating supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein the node corresponding to the second object is one of a programmable logic controller and a control screen.
A system configuration device receives network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks) and network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). It stores this data in a database. A processor then searches the database by network level, compares network identifiers to find nodes connected to specific networks, extracts these connected nodes, and calculates their display coordinates along with the network icons' coordinates for a network diagram. The device's display arranges these network levels from highest to lowest, showing the connections between network icons and their connected node icons based on these calculated coordinates. In this invention, the node represented by the node icon (second object) can specifically be a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a control screen, common components in industrial or automation network systems.
13. A method of operating a system configuration creation supporting device comprising: receiving a first network number and first network level information given to a first object and receive a second network number given to a second object, the first object being an image representing each of networks in a network system defined by a plurality of network levels, the second object being an image representing a node connected to at least one of the networks; storing, in a database, the first network number and first network level information given to a first object and store the second network number given to the second object, the first network level information indicating to which level in a network configuration the first object belongs; searching the database, using data processing circuitry, for the first object of each of the network levels on a basis of the first network level information; comparing the first network number of the found first object with the second network number of the second object; extracting the second object connected to the first object; calculating coordinates of each of the first object and the extracted second object in a network configuration diagram of the network configuration; arranging the network levels in an order from a highest network level to a lowest network level; and displaying, as the network configuration diagram, a connection between the first object and the second object in each of the network levels on the basis of the coordinates of each of the objects.
A method for operating a system configuration device involves receiving network identifiers and network level information for network icons (representing networks), and also receiving network identifiers for node icons (representing connected devices). This received data is then stored in a database. Using a data processing unit, the method searches the database for network icons belonging to each network level based on their level information. It compares the network identifiers of found network icons with those of node icons to extract connected nodes. The method then calculates the display coordinates for both network icons and the extracted connected node icons within a network configuration diagram. Finally, the method arranges the network levels from highest to lowest and displays the network configuration diagram, showing the connections between network icons and node icons in each level based on their calculated coordinates.
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August 4, 2020
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